New Delhi — Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan, who had drawn flak for attending a school function with a revolver tucked in his waist, on Monday said he keeps the gun for self defence and has been carrying it for the last 25 years.

"For the last 25 years I have been keeping a revolver...The revolver is merely for self defence...I admit that revolver was visible. But never have I pointed a revolver, or gotten involved in violence of any kind in my life," Mahajan said.

The incident happened yesterday when Mahajan was addressing differently-abled children in Maharashtra's Jalgaon district.

A photograph of the revolver tucked in his waist had resulted in an uproar with opposition parties demanding action against Mahajan for carrying a weapon while addressing a children's function.